FactCheck

Michael Gove rejects the image of kids taking classes under “leaky roofs”. In fact, he claims the government is spending more over the next four years than Labour did in its first two parliaments.

It’s very strange. Most politicians reckon that once bitten by FactCheck, twice shy. Not so the PM. We’ve caught him out on his boast on private sector jobs before but today he was at it again. He claimed half a million more private sector jobs were created since the election. He’s wrong, and here’s why.

“There’s no dispute that rapidly-rising fuel bills are hitting households hard. But who is to blame for the squeeze?”

“FactCheck asked DECC whether it is appropriate to put figures taken from two different research papers – carried out using different methodologies and assumptions – and put them side-by-side as though they were directly comparable. We did not receive an answer.”

“In Cornwall, there are estimated to be up to 1,350 families with multiple problems. How many are being offered intensive help? Just 14.”

David Cameron argued today that there are 50,000 more women in work than the time of the election, but Mr Miliband maintains that things haven’t been this bad since the Conservatives were last in government. Who’s right?

Revolting peers have landed their first blows on Andrew Lansley. Today they’re starting a marathon two-day debate on the health and social care bill, and the government is worried. The Department of Health has hit back with a “mythbusting” dossier. Will it succeed? Over to the team.

Metal theft has caused at least six deaths, 50 injuries, 60 fires and – a contender for stat of the year here – a total of 673 days of train delays in the last three years. But unless personally blighted by it – as Jon Snow was over the weekend – you’d be forgiven for being oblivious to the problem. Graham Jones, MP for Hyndburn in Lancashire, says it was the “constant concerns” of his wife and son – who both work for Electricity North West – that brought it to his attention. He is not alone in calling for a reform of the Metal Theft Act of 1964, which was slammed in the Lords last month for being “still legally in the age of Steptoe and Son”. But are we really dealing with a cable crime wave or has Mr Jones got his wires crossed? FactCheck dons its hard hat.

With the family purse-strings currently stretched to the limit, any extra pennies to help cover childcare costs are gratefully received. So today’s move from the government to pump £300m into the Child Tax Credit system, reaching 80,000 more families, sounds like great news – doesn’t it? FactCheck gets out its red marker pen.

“Significantly more people who have credit cards are sensibly paying off their balance every month rather than getting into debt at all. They are increasingly using the card as a payment tool rather than a source of credit.”

Calling for sanity in the UK’s immigration system, Theresa May said the Human Rights Act “needs to go”. Listing ludicrous examples, she said one man was allowed to stay because he had a cat. But is there a whisker of truth to it? FactCheck gets its claws out.

“That’s a worringly large proportion. There’s only one small problem. The numbers are completely wrong.”

“So if benefit “tourism” is still out even if the European Commission gets its way, long-term sponging won’t an option thanks to the government’s own crackdown, and there are other more attractive destinations closer to home, it’s difficult to see why floods of work-shy immigrants will be queuing up to make Britain their home.”

Tessa Jowell tried to brush off today’s humiliating slip in the leadership polls with the retort that no political party does well when the economy’s in the doldrums. “Benign times of growth are always easier for political parties,” she said, adding that it’s both a challenge and an opportunity for Ed Miliband. The news that the Tories have overtaken Labour for the first time since last October came as a huge blow to Mr Miliband as he delivered his keynote speech. According to a ComRes poll, the Conservatives are on 37 per cent, with Labour just behind at 36 per cent and the Lib Dems at 12 per cent. But Ms Jowell says this has more to do with people withdrawing from politics, than signing up to the Tories. FactCheck calls up the pollsters.

“Those local authorities are home to only 30 per cent of the English population, and represent 26 per cent of the total land mass – leaving three quarters of the country out of the planning loop.”